The Sphere of Parmile
by strangesheelf
Summary: When Jim discovers a sphere identical to Flint's map, he embarks on an adventure to search for answers. Together, he and his friends find a missing part of the legend of Flint's Trove while being hunted down by a crew of ruthless pirates.
1. Unwanted Guests

Author Note: Chapter one I think will be one of the saddest chapters of this fan fiction. Also, sorry if the pirates aren't talking like pirates. My "pirate talk" isn't the best.

EDIT: Nov. 6th, 2004: I updated this chapter and chapter three one more time just to check the spelling and any other grammar mistakes. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Treasure Planet and the characters of Treasure Planet belong to Disney Studios, not me. The Stanfun family, the sphere of Parmile, the planet Marappel, and some of the pirates belong to me, and that's it.

* * *

_The Sphere of Parmile_

_Chapter One: Unwanted Guests_

---

It was a cold, dark, rainy night on the planet of Marapple, and deep within the forest of this green planet was a fairly large house. Inside, a family of five sat peacefully around the fire as creatures of the night sung a lovely melody.

The father of the family, Mitchell, was resting in an armchair gazing out the window. Beside him was his beautiful wife, Vanessa, who was reading an old novel (Treasure Island, maybe?). Below their feet, lying of the floor playing a game of cards, were their two oldest children, a boy, Jacob, and a girl, Nicole. And beside the fireplace, their youngest daughter, Lora, played with her dolls as she lay on the hard, wooden floor.

"Oh no!" Lora shrieked in a high voice while waving her princess doll around, "Someone please save me!"

In her other hand was a monster that stomped it's way toward the princess, "Rah! Rah! I'm going to eat you for dinner! Grrrrr!"

Lora dropped the princess doll and used her free hand to grab the knight in shining armor. "I will save you!" She announced in a deep, proud voice.

"Oh, my hero!" Lora bashed the princess doll's head against the knight to make it appear as though she were giving him a kiss.

"Take that! And that! And that!" She said pouncing the knight on the dragon, tipping it over, and making it appear to be dead, "Die dragon! Die! Die! Die!"

Mitchell chuckled as he watched his nine year old continue her funny little play. He took one more glance out the window and noticed the sky had a strange dark shadow upon it. A loud clash of thunder roared in the night sky. Followed by large rain drops that bounced off the ground. That was odd, he didn't recall any signs of a storm earlier in the day... Unless...

"Vanessa, don't you find it odd for those rain clouds to just appear out of nowhere? You don't think it's..." His worried eyes looked at his wife.

"It's all in your head, sweetheart. There is nothing to be afraid of," His wife assured him.

Mitchell turned his gaze back to the window to search the outside. Although it was dark, he could swear he'd seen some movement from behind the trees. He examined the moving figures closer. The tip of his nose was pressed againt the glass and his breath became visible on the window. Another boom of thunder was heard as lightning hit the ground. At that moment, Mitchell noticed the figures were walking towards the house. One figure, in particular, he recognized right away. His eyes grew wide with fear as he said the name aloud, "Skull,"

"Is something wrong, dear?" Vanessa turned to her husband.

"Vanessa, take the children upstairs at once!" Mitchell jumped from his chair and ran quickly towards the door. He grabbed a giant thick piece of wood and placed it in front of the door.

Without any hesitation, Vanessa pulled Jacob and Nicole from the ground. Nicole grabbed hold of the Lora's arm and tugged her. Lora picked up her knight and monster, but dropped her princess doll as Nicole picked her up.

"My doll!" Lora yelled.

"There's no time!"

Their mother lead them up the stairs and down to the end of the hall. She placed her hand on a door nob that the children had never noticed before. The door slid open to reveal a dark, narrow hallway. They placed one hand on the wall and slowly walked sideways down to the end of the hall where they discovered another door. They were rushed insided a small room with only one small, round window.

Vanessa explained to her children that no matter what happened they had to stay in the room at all costs. Ignore the noises they could hear coming from downstairs and stay quiet. However, she refused to explain to them as to why they were hiding.

"Nicole," Vanessa approached her daughter and placed a round object wrapped in a dirty cloth into the palm of her hand, "Keep it safe," Nicole nodded as she shoved the object into the pocket of her dress.

"I'm going to help your father, stay here!" And with that, their mother shut the door and dashed off to help their father.

When Mitchell seen his wife at the top of the stairs he yelled out to her, "Vanessa! I can't hold them back! There's too many!"

"Keep trying Mitchell! We can't let them take it!"

Mitchell obeyed his wife and continued to push the door shut, refusing to let it open. Vanessa grabbed a broom as two pirates broke their way through a window. As a pirate came towards her she bravely tried to fight him off; but, another pirate snuck up from behind and grabbed her.

"Vanessa!" Mitchell shouted just before the door was thrust open, throwing him forward.

Jacob had his ear pressed against the door carefully trying to listen to the noises. The loud bangs and crashes made him fear the worst. Being the oldest, he felt it was his duty to protect his younger sisters if his parents failed to do so. Without thinking every thing through, he decided to ignore his mother's demands, "I'm going to help them!"

"Jacob, don't even think about it!" Nicole yelled to her brother, but she was unable to see him in the dark hallway. Nicole ran to the door and stuck her head out, "Jacob!" she yelled down the hall.

"Lor, stay here!" Nicole pulled the round object from her pocket and placed it in Lora's hands, "No matter what happens, don't let them have this!" Lora nodded as her sister ran through the door. It wasn't long before a terrifying scream echoed down the hall.

"Nicole!" Lora ran for the door. Trembling, she stopped at the door way and stared into the darkness. Softly, she called out to her sister while hugging her toys close, "N-Nicole?"

The silence was suddenly interruped by the fearful shout of a fat pirate that had managed to squeeze his way through the hall. His horrid face was only inches away from Lora's. Terrifed, she screamed and whacked the pirate across the face with one of her dolls; dropping the other to the floor.

"Why yeh lil'!" the pirate yelped in pain covering his eyes.

Meanwhile, Lora took off in the other direction towards the window. Just as she was crawling out the window the pirate came charging up from behind. She slid onto the roof and gulpped as the strong winds blew her dress and the rain splashed against her face. She shook as she looked at the long drop from the roof to the ground. Suddenly, the pirate grabbed the end of her dress, causing Lora to almost lose her balance. She turned around, grabbed her dress and tugged, "Let go!"

"Yeh be goin' nowhere, lass!"

The end of Lora's dress began to tear as they fought. Within seconds, a small piece of her dress was ripped off from the pirate and she fell backwards, tumbling towards the end of the roof. The pirate's body was too massive to fit through the small window, so he gave up. As he turned and walked away he cursed under his breathe.

However, Lora was now hanging on to the end of the roof. As she hung there, she could feel her grip loosening. One by one, her fingers let go, until finally, all her fingers let go of the roof and Lora sailed towards the ground.

Thankfully, a bush broke her fall. Lora looked around before climbing out of the bush and running into the forest. There she hid behind a tree where she was unnoticeable, yet she could see what was going on in front of the house. The pirates where gathering in the front yard, a few dragging her family out, some setting fire to the house, and the others stood by watching and cheering. Lora could see some of the pirates searching around her family as though they were looking for something.

"Deh pockets be empty, sir!"

"What yeh want us to do wit 'em, Cap'n?"

All the pirates turned and looked at a larger pirate about seven feet tall. He was very muscular and had grayish blue skin. The horrifying pirate cracked his large knuckles and approached Mitchell. Grabbing him by the collar he pulled him to his height. Now face to face the pirate questioned Mitchell slowly in a deep voice, "Where is the sphere, Mitchell?"

Grinding his teeth, Mitchell looked into the black eyes of the captain and gave him an answer he did not want to hear, "You'll never have it..." After violently throwing Mitchell to the ground, the pirate whipped out a gun and aimed it at Mitchell. The crew did the same, aiming their's at the rest of the family , "Then you all die,"

Lora quickly turned away before she witnessed something she'd wished she'd never seen. She started gasping for air shaking her head, not wanting to believe want just happened. "No, it's not real," Lora cried to herself, "It's just a bad dream, it's not real... it's just a dream... just a dream... it's not real."

As the rain continued to pour, Lora continued to cry. The life she knew was gone and she was left alone in this world. There was nowhere left to run. No family left to go to. She was cursed to spend the rest of her life miserable and lonely... for all eternity...

* * *

Next Chapter...

Chapter Two: An Unexpected Rescue


	2. An Unexpected Rescue

Author Note: Hurray! Chapter 2! I was going to post this chapter the same night I posted chapter one, but something went wrong and I was logged off line. So now I have to write it over again. Thankfully it wasn't that much so I remember most of it.

Disclaimer: Treasure Planet and any original characters or creatures from the movie belong to Disney. Not me, unfortunately. However, Lora Stanfun and other stuff belongs to me.

Here are the names I picked for the Doppler Kids.  
Red: Anneliese - Consecrated and gracious  
Blonde: Annette - Grace  
Brunette: Abigail - Father's Joy  
Puppy: Dominic - Of the lord (love that name! )

What do you think of the names? Are they good?

EDIT: I fixed chapter two because it seemed a little rush. The original was only about four pages long. This one is seven! Oo I'll be fixing chapters three, four, and five during this time. Don't worry, I plan on finishing this since I like the ending I have planned.

EDIT: Decided to change Anabelle's name to Anneliese. Sounds much better, don't you think?

* * *

_The Sphere of Parmile _

_Chapter Two: An Unexpected Rescue _

The warmth of the sun and the soft breeze of the wind felt magnificent on his skin. He inhaled the delightful scent of the flowers his mother had grown over the summer. He hoped the calmness of this peaceful day would never fade. It was uncommon for him to sit outside and listen to his own thoughts. His mother had argued with him to stop wasting his time inside and enjoy the day while the amount of customers was small.

Now that he'd graduated from the Interstellar Academy he was anxious to see what adventures laid ahead of him. So far, nothing exciting had leaped in front of his path. Life was slowly fading away into nothing. If only something new would happen.

In the meantime, he would have to wait; much to his dismay. Wait and hope that an exciting adventure would find it's way to him. He leaned back against the wall relaxed, closed his eyes, and sighed. Today was a beautiful, peaceful day, and nothing could ruin it...

"Hey Jimmy!"

Except for that...

Jim opened his eyes to find his old pal, B.E.N looking down at him. The cheerful smile on his face made Jim curious. The merry look B.E.N was giving him reminded him of a five-year-old that desperately wanted to yell out the secret he was hiding. Jim smirked at B.E.N, "What is it, B.E.N.?"

"You'll never guess what I just found!" B.E.N. was nearly shaking from excitement.

"What?"

"Your old solar surfer!"

Jim's jaw nearly dropped. Solar surfing... it had been awhile since he last felt the joy of gliding through the air. When he'd returned from his journey to Treasure Planet, he began building a new surfer and put his old one aside. He'd gotten into trouble many times with that old surfer. There were many scars carved into that old piece of metal. Many memories...

"So what do ya say we take it out for a ride?" B.E.N. questioned Jim.

"All right," Jim smiled. Maybe this day would get better.

After numerous attempts to pull the old board out of the pile of junk, they held the board before them and examined it. The commotion had caused many of the customers to curiously peep out of the window. Morph swiftly flew out to assist them without any hesitation. He chirped merrily and whirled around Jim's head excitedly. He always knew when something exhilarating was about to occur.

Jim tried to ignore the cherry, pink blob, and studied his board closely. He was astonished to find the board was still in magnificent condition, despite how roughly he treated it. A brief ride wouldn't get him into a great deal of trouble. All he had to do was stay within the Benbow area and not trespass onto anyone's property.

"So, we gonna take it for a spin, Jimmy?" B.E.N was still eager to witness Jim's solar surfing skills.

"You bet."

Within minutes the small group had wandered from the Benbow Inn and into a clear area. Jim set the board on the ground and positioned his feet firmly on the board. B.E.N clapped his hands together, jumped up and down, and shouted, "This is so exciting!"

Morph slid into the pocket of Jim's pants and poked his head out with a merry smile. Jim patted his pocket; "You can come to, Morph,"

B.E.N took a step back as Jim and Morph shot off the cliff and into the air. Jim yelled out in excitement as his hair flew back and he glided through the air. Morph chirped and laughed in his high, squeaky voice. There was something so wonderful about this free feeling.

Now hundreds of feet from the ground, Jim arched his arms up like wings and fell backwards. After flipping backwards several times he twisted his body, grabbed one side of his board and spun in a circle. Once he was about forty feet from the ground he shot forward again with a great shout.

This brought back countless old memories. His mind fell back to four years ago. He remembered the last time he'd used a solar surfer, back when he was fifteen. That was the last time he'd gotten into trouble with the authorities. He could still visualize the horrified expression on his mother's face when they brought him home. She was always upset at him for his behavior, but that day felt like the worst.

It was later that night, while he was eavesdropping on his mother and Doctor Doppler's conversation that a ship crashed near the Benbow Inn. Jim quickly assisted Billy Bones out of his ship and into the Inn where a shocked Sarah and Delbert stood. He was given a sphere that would change his life in many ways.

The gold sphere had lead Jim on an adventure where he met Silver, a cyborg pirate. Silver had explained to Jim that he would do great things in the future and rattle the stars. A warm smile spread across Jim's face as he remembered the old cyborg that believed in him; but a loud explosion interrupted his thoughts.

Falling from the sky at a fast pace was a small, fish-like ship. Orange and red flames waved wildly leaving a trail of thick smoke behind. The ship turned on its side just as it crashed into the soil and slid several feet. Horrified, Jim decided to investigate; hopefully someone was still alive.

He spun his board around and headed in the direction the ship had crash-landed. As he approached the ship, he noticed that pieces of the ship had flung off during impact. He set his board aside and slowly moved toward the ship; Morph close behind. They noticed that part of the ship was dangling over the cliff, making it even more difficult to enter.

With the help of Morph, Jim managed to find the broken door. He gave it a good tap and watched it fall before him. He and Morph gave each other glances and cautiously entered the ship. The inside was a disaster. Wires hung, sparks flew, doors hung open, and the most of the ship was surrounded with smoke. Jim covered his mouth with his arm, coughing as he inhaled. He moved wires around and yelled, "Hello? Is any one in here?"

Jim jostled his way through the wires and to the front of the ship. The controls were smashed and broken with a few wires and buttons poking out. Jim's eyes started to wander from the controls to the seat ahead of him. He noticed the limp arm dangling over the armrest.

After blinking several times he carefully moved toward the arm. He slowly leaned over the chair to discover a young woman. Her appearance was that of a young woman, no older than Jim was. Long brown hair dangled over her light skinned face. She wore a black jacket with her sleeves rolled to her elbows. Underneath of her jacket was a white, short sleeved shirt with a blue bodice. She also had green pants with black boots.

It wasn't until he strolled nearer that he observed the large bump on the left side of her forehead. He assumed she hit her head on the controls during the impact. Her jaw was slightly hanging open. A small moan followed by a twitch caused Jim to presume she was still alive. However, Morph paid little attention to Jim or the unconscious girl.

He was much more fascinated with the shiny buttons, rather than the harmed girl. Barely able to contain his enthusiasm, the little shape shifter morphed into a hand with a pointing index finger. The finger swiftly made contact with the button and pushed it inward.

"The ship will destruct in 30 seconds," A voice echoed.

"What did you do?" Jim raised an eyebrow and gave Morph a suspicious look, whom was chirping and laughing hysterically. With only a few seconds left, Jim felt it was useless to question Morph. Lifting the young woman up he held her in his arms and sped through the exit of the ship.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven," In a speedy movement, Jim and Morph raced out of the ship seconds before the explosion. They were flung forward from the vast wind and hit the ground with a thud. Jim roofed his head with his arm as tiny pieces of the ship soared over their heads.

As the last piece flew, Jim turned to look at the ruins of the ship. Flames danced over the broken parts of the ship and a cool wind softly blew the smoke. The ship was completely destroyed. Whoever this girl was, she wasn't going anywhere too soon.

* * *

"Give it back!"

"No! I saw it first!"

"So! I grabbed it first!"

Tugging the blue bear, the two toddlers wrangle yelling at each other in harsh tones. The red haired feline had snatched the toy before her canine brother could. The two siblings bickered like this constantly. The girl loved nothing more than torturing and teasing her brother to the point that she could make him cry. It made her feel as though she had a great deal of power over her three siblings.

"Anneliese! Dominic! How many times must I repeat myself?" Their father, whom Dominic had a striking resemblance to, bent down to their level and took the teddy bear, "Share your toys,"

"Yes dad," Anneliese and Dominic sighed together.

Their father put the bear down and sauntered away. Anneliese picked it up and looked at the bear that she grasped in her hands. Admitting defeat, she put the bear in front of her brother, "Take it,"

Without so much as a thank you, Dominic snatched the bear and pulled it close to him with a victorious smile on his face. Anabelle felt incredibly stupid, she wouldn't lose the battle so easily. Quickly thinking, she glanced around the room until she spotted a toy pirate ship. She knew how much her brother enjoyed playing with miniature pirate ships and decided this was how she would win the war.

"But, _I_ get this one!" Dominic looked over to see Anneliese playing with his brand new ship.

"But that's mine!"

"So, you took my bear," Anneliese didn't even so much as take one glance at her brother.

How dare she treat him like this! It wasn't that Dominic hated his sister, she just wasn't his favorite sibling to be around. He felt like a weakly when she was near. Her strength and wits over powered him and left him in the pits of shame and defeat. Not this time, he would have his revenge... when he would eventually think of a plan...

"But- but that's my favorite toy!"

"And as I said before, _that_ is my bear," Her voice stern and calm, "I'll tell you what, let's make a deal. You return my bear and I give you your truck,"

Anneliese's words astonished Dominic. For such a young girl, her use of words were brilliant. He'd overheard his parents speaking about Anneliese's abnormally high intelligent. Apparently, she'd picked up her love of books from their father and learned most of her words from the books she read. She'd also inherited their mother's wits and sense of humor using harsh words. In a way, Dominic envied his sister. He was only blessed with their father's looks and clumsiness.

"I donno..." Dominic didn't want to give up the bear so easily, but he didn't want his sister to demolish his favorite truck.

"Well, if that's the way you feel," Anneliese raised a hand and extended one long claw. Dominic knew exactly what she was trying to do. She was trying to threaten him into giving her the bear. Well it wouldn't work! He wouldn't admit defeat so effortlessly! Then again, he knew Anneliese well, but not that well. He'd always given in by now, so he wasn't too sure as to how bold his sister was. Perhaps she really would damage his toy just to have her way; "You've got three seconds,"

She wouldn't... She would be in loads of trouble if she did!

"One..."

He wasn't going to fall for it! Not this time! Never again!

"Two..."

She wouldn't dare... would she?

"Three!"

"All right, all right! Deal!" Dominic tossed the bear at his sister. He wasn't going to take the chance of Anneliese actually destroying his favorite toy.

"I knew you'd see it my way," Anneliese smiled as she embraced her bear.

Dilbert sighed, "All those two ever do is argue!"

"Don't worry, Dilbert, they'll grow out of it someday," Sarah chuckled, "I remember Jim at that age,"

"Speaking of Jim, where did he wander off to? Wasn't he helping you earlier today?"

"Yes, he was, but I told him to take a brake... which was quite a while ago..." Sarah was starting to grow worried. She'd let Jim leave over an hour ago. Where could he have possibly gone? Better yet, what was he up to?

"Hm, I do recall seeing Jim and that mechanical friend of his dragging a giant metal board that resembled Jim's old solar surfer. You know, the one he built after our trip?" Dilbert thought about what he said for a moment. He wondered if it was really necessary to mention Jim's solar surfer.

"Oh no," Sarah put a hand to her forehead as her heart skipped a beat, "You don't think he's gotten into any trouble, do you?"

"Who? Jim? No! Of course not!" Dilbert was starting to rue ever mentioning what he'd said before. How did he always get himself into these situations? Feeling it was his duty to comfort Sarah, he put a hand on her shoulder and calmly spoke, "Don't worry, Sarah. Jim's a smart boy. I'm sure he's just having a merry old time!"

Sarah smiled warmly, "You're right, Dilbert. Jim's not the boy he used to be," Sarah wiped a tear that was forming in her eye, "he's changed." She sighed with a great deal of relief, "My little boy has grown up... and he won't be begging me for pets any more,"

Suddenly the Inn door swiftly swung open and hit the wall with a bang. Jim stood there breathing heavily with beads of sweating forming on his skin. Morph floated above him and B.E.N. stood in the back dragging Jim's board. The unconscious girl's arm was dangling over Jim's shoulders. As small as the woman was, the lengthy walk and the weight of the girl over Jim caused him to grow exhausted.

"Ahem! Well, it appears Jim has found a new category of things to bring home," Dilbert coughed.

"Oh, Jim! Not again!" Sarah was aghast at the sight and rushed forward.

"Don't worry, mom," Jim assured his mother, "It's not what it looks like,"

"Good heavens! What's happened to her? Is she all right?" Dilbert questioned.

"Yeah, I think so," Jim removed the girl's arm from his shoulders and laid her against the door, "She's got a nasty bump on her forehead, but other than the fact that she'd unconscious, I think she's okay,"

"What should we do with her?" Sarah looked at Dilbert.

"Bring her upstairs and lay her down on one of the beds. I'll find the doctor and send him over straight away!" Dilbert grabbed his coat and headed out the door, "Sarah, could you watch the children while I'm gone?"

"Yes, Dilbert. Now hurry!"

"Of course,"

While Jim and B.E.N took the girl up stairs, Sarah and Morph tried to calm a crying Annette. The adorable, little, blonde feline whined and hesitated to speak as her watery tears rolled down her pink cheeks. Annette had the softest heart and could have it easily broken just by someone walking away from her. Sarah picked her up and rocked her back and forth.

"W-w-w-why did daddy l-l-leave us?" Annette sniffled.

"Oh, there, there, Annette," Sarah hushed the child, "He'll be back soon,"

"Yeah, he wouldn't leave us!" Abigail turned to Sarah with worried eyes, "Would he?"

"Of course not,"

"Pft, babies," Anneliese snorted at her sisters. She found it greatly annoying for them to cry and whine over such questions. Dominic, however, had no worries. He knew his father well, and knew he'd never leave them.

But there was still the girl... the mysterious girl that Jim had rescued from the burning ship. What had caused her ship to crash? And what was her business on Montressor?

* * *

Next Chapter...

Chapter Three: Vanished


	3. Vanished

Author Note: Chapter three... not much to say... except for the fact that my "pirate talk" is weak. I've been using some web sites to help with it, but I still can't help but feel like I suck at it. I apologize for this.

Also, if the characters aren't acting or talking like themselves feel free to correct me! As I suck at it.

And, before I forget, you may notice that Captain Skull doesn't sound like a pirate. This is because there was a point in time in which he wasn't a pirate, and he just hasn't really picked up the talk. The same goes for another character. Make sense?

Oh yeah, and I forgot to mention this in the last two chapters...

A big THANK YOU to Abby for helping me out and stopping me from writing a Mary-Sue! And Mia for always commenting on DeviantArt! You girls rock!

Disclaimer: You know the drill; Treasure Planet is copyright Disney. I only own Lora and Skull's crew.

* * *

_The Sphere of Parmile_

_Chapter Three: Vanished_

Three days had past since the young woman's unexpected arrival. Each day, the family kindly made her a meal and set it on the small desk next to the bed she slept in. And each day they would hope to find her awake, yearning to get some words out of her mouth. Unfortunately, she was always sound asleep and never woke. When they would return for the plates, they'd find every bowl, plate, and cup empty down to the last scrap, with the young woman hidden beneath the covers.

The Dopplers' visited daily eager to hear some good news. Sarah would dish up their usual, B.E.N and Morph would play with the children, and Jim would take orders from the customers. The weather had not changed in the past three days. The heat worsened by each passing day causing the customers to become crabby and harder to deal with.

Anneliese was no better. It seemed the humidity was bothering her as well as she would pester the customers' daily. An annoyed Mrs. Dunwoodie was her unfortunate victim of the day. Anneliese observed the woman as she slurped her juice loudly. If Anneliese wasn't aloud to break rules while eating, then why should any adult be an exception? Ruining her day would be quite amusing.

"Can I help you, young lady?" Mrs. Dunwoodie eyed the kitten.

"Are you aware of your resemblance to a clown?"

"I beg your pardon!"

"Your makeup is horribly done! Do you apply it in the dark?" With an innocent look, Anneliese turned her head sideways in confusion as she studied the woman's face.

"Why you obnoxious little!..."

"Okay!" Jim grabbed Anneliese from under her arms, "That's enough _torturing the customers _for one day, Anneliese!"

"I was merely being honest," Anneliese snorted as Jim placed her on the floor with her siblings.

"Uh, sorry about that," Jim laughed nervously hoping the stubborn woman wouldn't take the girl's words seriously, "Heh, kids!"

Mrs. Dunwoodie's face did not relax at all. Jim was starting to find Anneliese's words truthful. In a way, he was grateful Anneliese was bold enough to speak her thoughts. Perhaps Mrs. Dunwoodie would consider changing her appearance to a more faltering look. Jim shook the thoughts from his head.

"What can I get you, ma'am?"

"Well for starters, you could give that child some discipline!" Mrs. Dunwoodie's eyes focused on Anneliese on the other side of the room. Jim turned his gaze to find Anneliese with her small, pink tongue sticking out at Mrs. Dunwoodie. Apparently she'd heard Mrs. Dunwoodie's harsh words.

Jim tried to end the argument with a cough; "I'll talk to her parents about that,"

"Make sure that you do! Now, I would like two powdered spheroids and one lunar eclipse. And another glass of purp juice,"

Jim scribbled the order down in a small notebook with a pen, "Yes, ma'am! Your meal will be ready in a couple of minutes,"

Jim turned and walked towards the swinging kitchen doors in a nimble movement. Just as he gently pushed one of the doors open the other did the same. His mother, Sarah Hawkins, nearly jumped as her son came face to face with her.

"Oh, Jim!" She gasped, "You surprised me!"

"Sorry, mom,"

"Sweetheart, could you do me a favor? Bring that tray of food upstairs to the girl's room," Sarah used her head to direct Jim to the position of the tray.

"Sure, mom," Jim agreed as he headed for the tray of food.

"Thank you, Jim."

As Jim sauntered into the kitchen Sarah approached Delbert and Amelia's table by the windows. She set a bowl of Alponian chowder and a bowl of water before Delbert as Amelia quietly sipped her coffee. A starving Delbert politely took the bowl from Sarah with a smile.

"Thank you, Sarah,"

"Sorry for the hold up, Delbert," Sarah breathed; "I had to make the girl's breakfast along with some of the customers,"

"Oh, don't apologize!" Delbert laughed, "I understand how busy this place can be,"

"Speaking of this outlandish, young woman," Amelia set her coffee cup down on the table, "What is her condintion?"

"Well, she's eating at least, but none of us have spoken to her," Sarah answered, "Each day we bring food to her room, but when we return for the plates every plate is cleaned off and she's sound asleep,"

"It appears she's trying to avoid all contact," Delbert made a suggestion.

"Yes, but what is her reason?" Amelia questioned.

"Perhaps she's just shy,"

"Yes, it is a possibility... but my mind still grows suspicious of this woman..." Amelia gazed at her reflection in her coffee in deep thought. A strong feeling told her there was something wrong... something very wrong...

* * *

"Is she dead?"

The curious little kittens and their canine brother poked their heads over the bed. As B.E.N. walked off to search for Morph, the children snuck their way up the stairs without being noticed. They'd heard their parents and every one else discussing about the unconscious woman asleep in one of the rooms.

The woman's eyes were closed tightly and her mouth hung open slightly. Her chest slowly moved inward and outward as she inhaled and exhaled the fresh air. Every few moments she moaned and mouthed out small words in her sleep. She twitched about as sweat rushed down her face.

"I think she's having a nightmare," Abigail whispered amongst her siblings, "Should we wake her up?"

"What if she's dying?" Annette shook at the mere thought, "We should tell mommy and daddy!"

"No! We can't!" Anneliese protested.

"And why not?" Dominic asked.

"'Cause we're not even supposed to be up here! Remember?"

"... You know she has a point," Dominic, for once, was agreeing with Anneliese.

Suddenly, the woman stopped moving completely. She inhaled one last breath and exhaled slowly. The baffled children stood in silence and confusion as they gawked at her. It was almost hard to tell if she'd stopped breathing or not.

"... Somebody poke her," Anneliese suggested.

In that moment, the young woman's body lunged forward and her hand swung to her heart. She let out a terrifying, loud gasp for air and breathed heavily. The startled children panicked and began to scream. One after the other, they ran out of the room.

The woman's nails dug into her chest as she continued to gasp for air. Beads of sweat dripped down the sides of her face as her breathing slowed down. Her deep slumber had been disturbed by a horrifying nightmare. But it certainly wasn't the first time this had happened... not after her journey...

Jim quietly made his way up the wooden stairs balancing the tray. He heard several screams coming from down the hall. In a flash, the four Doppler children ran past his legs in a frightened state. A dumbfounded Jim and Morph exchanged glances and shrugged. They would have to discover the cause of their screaming later. The customers needed to come first!

The two friends walked down to the end of the hall and came upon the last door on the right. Jim approached the door and lightly knocked on the wood, hoping for an answer in return. The awkward silence was nothing new to him by now. It wasn't sure why this girl was so frightened by them, but he was starting to grow curious. Was it really that difficult to utter a few kind words to a family of strangers that were generous enough to care for her in this time of need?

Unable to wait any longer, Jim gave a warning of his coming before gradually pushing the door open, "Hello? Are you awake? I've got your lunch."

No reply was returned. Jim and Morph peaked inside to see the young woman's back turned from them as she softly breathed in her sleep. The two of them were not surprised at what they discovered. They just wished for once they could catch her awake so they could question her. Jim took loud steps in an attempt to wake her, but it was useless. Whoever this woman was, she was no light sleeper.

The tray made a loud clatter as it was set on the desk beside the bed. Jim took one last glance at her face to see if her eyes had opened. He was disappointed to still find them shut tightly. He shook his head and began to walk away.

However, Morph was in no need to leave so quickly. He spotted the woman's jacket hanging on the back of a chair by a window. He slipped inside the sleeves and flew in and out at a rapid speed. Too busy enjoying his own game, he failed to notice the jacket was slipping from the chair. Within less than a minute, the jacket fell from its position and Morph was trapped underneath. Laughing hysterically, Morph bounced around under the jacket. Not able to see where he was going, only made his little game more exciting.

It didn't take Jim very long to notice his tiny; shape-shifting friend was missing. He came back to the room to come upon a giggling, hopping jacket on the floor. Somewhat amused by his little friend's game he chuckled as he removed the jacket from the floor. Morph whipped out from underneath and twirled around in the air chirping. Their happy moment was suddenly interrupted by the clank of something hard hitting the floor. Something must have fallen from inside the jacket.

Startled by the noise, Jim looked down to find the source of the sound. It was a round object wrapped in a dirty cloth. Curiosity struck him as he observed the object from where he stood. It was oddly familiar, he felt as though he'd seen these images once before. Unable to contain himself, he bent down to grasp the round object. He picked it up and observed it closely. Untying the string that held the cloth wrapped around it, he became uneasy about his actions.

Was it okay to snoop through a stranger's belongings? This woman had spent three days at the inn and had not spoken a word to any one in that time. It was only normal for him to want to know more behind who she was. Why was she flying a ship alone? Why did her ship crash? If she was not going to give him answers, then he would have to find them on his own!

The filthy cloth peeled open from the object to reveal something Jim never expected. A gold light shone in Jim's eyes as his mouth hung open. Hidden beneath the cloth was a gold sphere; an exact replica of Flint's treasure map.

No... it couldn't be possible! The planet and the sphere were destroyed over four years ago! How could the map withstand an explosion that enormous? It was impossible... nothing could actually be cable of surviving that. There had to be another explanation.

"Put it down," A stern voice spoke from behind.

Jim spun around to find the woman glaring back at him. Blue eyes were exposed from behind strands of thick, brown hair. Her look was that of a serious and frightening frown. She did not seem too pleased about someone prying through her belongings. Unable to find any words, the baffled young man and the girl exchanged long glances.

"If you value your life," the girl was the one to break the silence first, "you'll place that sphere back where you found it and forget you ever saw it,"

Was she really threating him over a sphere? What was she trying to hide? Why did she even have it? And where did she get it? 'Who is this woman?' Jim found him questioning himself.

Jim was startled when she leaped out from underneath the covers and quickly approached him. She snatched the sphere from his hand and picked her jacket up off the floor. As she placing her jacket on in a fast pace, Jim could almost see the sweat dripping down her face. And when she took one last glimpse at him, he could see the fear in her eyes.

She spoke once more, acting as though she were speaking to a child, "If you know what's good for you, you'll forget any of this happened and above all... you won't follow me..." With her last words she slammed the door behind her and took off.

"Wait!" Confused, Jim was unsure what to do. What was she frightened by and why was she running? If she's in any real danger, Jim should get the authorities involved. But first he would need to catch the girl and question her...

* * *

"That's odd," Dilbert's eyes wandered to the window as a loud clash of thunder and lightning roared through the dark sky, "I don't remember hearing any thing about an evening storm,"

As every ones' gaze turned to the window and they pondered the same thoughts a girl in a black jacket rushed passed them and burst through the door; almost losing her balance in the process. Jim practically flew down the stairs and jumped the last four or five steps. The remaining customers, along with Sarah and Dilbert, gasped as Jim's loud stomp from his jump echoed through the room.

"Jim!" A bewildered Sarah shouted, "What's going on? Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Jim grabbed his coat and threw it on, "but I'm about to find out. I'll be right back!" Morph zipped out through an opening in the door just before it shut.

"Wait! Jim!" Sarah's eyes focused on Jim as he disappeared behind the closed door. In her mind, every second moved by slowly as though they were framed images. She felt a sharp pain in her chest as the pace of her heart beat quickened. She knew this familiar feeling. The feeling of fear. Panicking, she knew she couldn't abandon the inn with all the customers. She needed to send someone to keep an eye on Jim. Desperate she reached out and grabbed the nearest person.

"B.E.N., I need you to do me a favor," She was astonished to find herself asking him to do this favor, "follow Jim and make sure he doesn't get hurt,"

"Yes, sir! I mean ma'am!" Without the slightest hesitation, B.E.N. dashed out the door. Shortly after, a loud crash came from outside followed by B.E.N.'s voice, "I'm okay!"

"I'm not entirely sure that was the best decision you've made today," Amelia acknowledged.

"I'm starting to have my doubts." Sarah groaned. One of B.E.N.'s best skills may not have been protection, but at least he was loyal member of their family.

* * *

Moments later, Jim was sprinting at a fast pace to capture the abnormal young woman with Morph floating close behind. A stream of thoughts flowed through his head as he attempted to reach her. The identical sphere made no sense to him. Flint's trove was destroyed with all it's treasures, including the map. He hoped to discover the answers to these questions soon, for his brain was starting to ache.

Panting heavily, the woman came to a decision to take a breather as she leaned against a boulder. Placing a hand over her chest she inhaled the air several times. Her eyes took a glimpse into the sky, as the clouds grew darker by the minute. She understood these signs well and knew what threat was approaching her. She prayed to herself that no fool was courageous enough to follow her.

"Hey, you!" A voice ahead of her broke the woman from her thoughts. It was the young man from the inn! She was wanted to be it was a mirage or that she was merely losing her mind. But no matter how much she tried to believe, she knew he was real. Desperate, she tried to sprint away only to have him snatch her by the arm in the process.

"Wait! I'm not going to hurt you!"

"Release me at once!" At this harsh demand, the woman ripped her arm free from his grasp.

"Why did you take off like that? You could've at least thanked us for our generosity!"

"You have to get out of here! It's dangerous!"

"If it's so dangerous then why are you out here alone?" Jim demanded to know. When she hesitated to return an answer, Jim took the opportunity to make a suggestion, "Look, if you really are in danger, then running away isn't going to do you any good. Just come back to the inn and we'll get the authorities to take care of whatever problems you're having, okay?"

"You don't understand! There isn't any thing _you_ or _any one _can do to help me!" She was starting to grow very impatient with him, "So just be a _good little boy _and _GO HOME_!"

A loud voice caught their attention and the three of them turned their gaze to source of the noise. Jim was not surprised to find B.E.N. running towards them waving happily. Jim cringed his teeth as he took a few steps forward, but not only enough to grab the woman should she try to run.

"B.E.N. what are you doing?" Jim questioned the lively robot.

"Well... I... uh..."

B.E.N. understood why he was there, but was his reason supposed to be to tell Jim why? Unsure of what to do next, the dense robot stuttered the same three words again and again as he proceeded to think of an excuse. At that moment, the woman was flung unexpectedly flung forward past Jim and face first into the dirt. Shocked by this, Jim, B.E.N., and even Morph did not move as she slowly tried to pick herself up, only to fly up from the ground and slam against the boulder behind them. She collapsed on the ground as her entire body ached with pain.

The group stood there with their jaws hanging open startled by what they'd just witnessed. There was someone else there with them. They could feel the presence, but they couldn't make out what it was. A feminine chuckle came from were the beaten woman lay, as steady footsteps approached them. Jim stood his ground as Morph hide behind his back, shaking with fear.

The body of a woman started to form as the once invisible figure came toward Jim. Once she was right before him, her entire body became visible. She would have been commonly mistaken for a human, had it not been for her sea green skin, thick, dark forest green hair, and fiery red eyes with a hint of orange. Her cloths were rather revealing, as her white shirt was falling around her shoulders. She definitely seemed more like the fighting time, rather then the sweet, innocent time. And her sick and twisted smile was only proving Jim's theory more.

"Oh," She placed a hand on Jim's cheek revealing black fingernails, "well, aren't you quite the stud?" She pulled him close to her as he took several steps back, "It's such a sin you were found with that little wench over there... otherwise... I wouldn't have to kill you,"

B.E.N. glanced over at the woman that lay near the boulder. She was slowly raising from the ground with one hand against the boulder to balance her body that shook with pain. He noticed the angry look on her face as she picked up a rock. Leaping forward, she tugged at the green woman's hair. The green woman gave out a blood, thrilling scream just before she was hit in the face with a rock.

"Come on!" The woman gave Jim a slap on the back to get him moving.

In a flash, the four of them were racing in the direction of the inn. Howling wind was heard along with roars of thunder and lightning. As Jim caught up with the woman he noticed she had her arm wrapped around her ribs. The impact with the boulder must of hurt her badly, and yet she was still able to move. There was obviously some thought in her mind that was keeping her going despite how much pain she was in.

The clanking noises of B.E.N. came to a screeching halt as the woman fell before him. Jim almost fell as his boots slid against the dirt to come to a stop. He stood over her with worry eyes staring down.

"Look, you need to stop this before you seriously hurt yourself!" He demanded. He got down on his knees and began to put one of her arms around his shoulder, "Listen; I'll carry you until we back to the inn, all right?"

"No!" She refused as she pulled her arm from his grasp. "We have to move fast before the rest of them come!"

"The rest?" Jim exclaimed, "You mean there's more? How many?"

"An entire crew... come on, we should keep moving,"

"Don't be so hasty, lass," A deep voice echoed in the wind. A shady figure approached them from the winds that blew the dust from the ground. As it came closer, the wind became calm and started to clear, revealing the man that spoke to them, "You might get hurt,"

A flash of lightning hit the ground at those last words. The man was nearly seven feet tall with grayish blue, skin. His black eyes showed pure evil in his sole as his muscular arms showed strength. His clothing proved his importance as the captain of the crew and his massive size struck fear into their hearts as he stood before them. Jim noticed that the woman had stopped dead in her tracks and was barely able to breathe.

"You had us a little worried, Miss Stanfun," at this point the rest of the crew had come out of hiding with cutlasses and guns drawn, "Thought we'd lost yeh for good,"

"I was hoping..." Miss Stanfun mumbled under her breath.

"You won't be running away this time, lass... my men will be making sure of that,"

The small group of four huddled together as the pirates beleaguered them. The circle grew tight and soon they found themselves back to back with all hope of escaping lost. Miss Stanfun reached her hand into her pocket and felt a round object. This gold sphere was their last chance if they were going to escape from this situation alive.

"Grab onto me," She whispered to the fellows behind her.

"What?" A baffled Jim questioned her.

"Every one hang onto me," She whispered once more, "I've got a plan,"

As Miss Stanfun removed the sphere from the pocket of her black jacket, Jim noticed the pirates stopped at the mere sight of it. At this moment, Jim and B.E.N. each grabbed onto a shoulder of Miss Stanfun while Morph perched himself on Jim's shoulder. Grasping the sphere in the palm of her hand, Miss Stanfun gave the captain a wicked glare before pressing one of the buttons on the sphere.

The pirates stood clear as the bodies of the four once soon-to-be victims transformed into small drops of liquid. In moments, the little drops swirled around in twister until each drop evaporated. Where they once stood was nothing. The pirates turned to face their captain expecting him to slash at them for failing to kill them. But he merely chuckled to himself and shook his head.

"Run all you want, Miss Stanfun. You'll just be making the hunt more enjoyable,"

* * *

Next Chapter...

Chapter Four: Lora

Nov. 4th, 2004 - Old chapter four and five are still up! They will be rewritten and then the rest of the story will come. I plan on finishing this with a big ending I'm sure you all will love!


	4. LoraJane

Author Note: Whee! Chapter Four is here! ... I'm running out of useless things to say... READ MORE BOOKS!

There's a part in here where Lora teases Jim with the sphere, which is actually pretty cute. You'll find out later on in the chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet, but I bet you already knew that. Any thing that doesn't come from the movie was obviously made up by me. Hurray for me and my peanut-sized brain!

_

* * *

_

_The Sphere of Parmile_

_Chapter Four: Lora-Jane_

Jim blinked numerous times, astonished by what just happened. Their surroundings had gone from a desert, mining planet to a thick forest. Large trees of great heights stretched around them. Calls of birds echoed through the branches and low growls could be heard from a distance. He had no knowledge of their new whereabouts, but this obviously wasn't Montressor.

"What... what just happened?" He asked himself slowly as he turned to B.E.N. and Morph. They both appeared to be as befuddled as he was.

The group heard fowl words being mumbled and they all looked to Miss Stanfun whom had walked a short distance away as Jim was questioning himself. She violently beat the gold sphere and cursed to herself, "Blasted sphere!"

"Hey!" Jim placed a gentle hand on her shoulder to gain her attention. She acted surprised as she stared at Jim with blue eyes full of alarm. It was almost as though she'd forgotten they were there, for a moment. Feeling he had her full attention he decided to ask his question once more, "Just what, exactly, is going on here?"

"We need to keep moving," Was Miss Stanfun's response.

"What?" Jim shouted. It was almost as though those were the only words she knew as she had repeated them many times before, "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wait a minute! We're not going anywhere until _you_ explain what happened back there!"

Miss Stanfun had proceeded to walk and ignore his questions. Frustrated, Jim grabbed her shoulder tighter this time and whipped her around to face him. With a strong grasp on her shoulder he shouted at her as she merely scowled, "Why won't you tell us what's going on?"

"Because it doesn't concern you!" She barked back as she once more broke free from his grasp and continued to walk away, "You should have heeded my warnings and never followed me! Now get as far away from me as you possibly can... I can't take the blame for the loss of more soles..."

At those last words, Jim could see the sudden change in her eyes. The emotion in her eyes that was once frustration had changed to sorrow as she spoke with a soft voice. He could almost feel the pain she felt with just those few words.

"Well we followed you..." Jim referred to him, Morph, and B.E.N., "So what do you plan to do with us now?"

Once again Jim had found a question that she could not find an answer to. She stopped in her tracks and stood there silently for a while until finally she gave in and sighed. There was nothing she could do with them. She could have left them there to fend for themselves, but that would be heartless.

Without even turning she gave an answer that Jim did not expect, but had hoped for. She spoke softly with a kind and innocent voice this time; "My name is Lora... Lora-Jane Stanfun. And I will answer your questions as soon as you give me a name to refer to you by,"

Taken back by how sweet she had become, Jim gave her the answer she desired, "It's Jim Hawkins,"

"And I'm B.E.N!" B.E.N. shouted merrily only to have Jim give him a rude look.

At the mere mention of Jim's name Lora froze. The name struck deep into her mind for she knew the name and had heard it once before. She peeked over she shoulder almost shaking as she breathed. Could this really be him?

"You're," She squinted her eyes as she examined him, "_thee_ Jim Hawkins?"

"Yeah..." Jim took a step back stunned at what he'd heard, "You know me?"

A bashful smile came to her face as she almost stuttered her words; "I've... heard some rumors that... involved you,"

"Really?" Jim was starting to enjoy to the idea of being recognized through out the galaxy, "What were they about?"

She shook her head as she started draw near them, "I... can't quiet remember... But I'm sure they were all good."

Jim smiled warmly as he fell deep into thought. What wonderful remarks could random people have to say about him? The only journey that came to his mind was his adventure to Flint's Trove and that story was only known among a few amount of people. Perhaps in someone's eyes he was considered incredible.

Unfortunately, Jim was forced to shake the thoughts from his head as Lora stood before him and B.E.N. A rather adorable and puzzled look upon the young lass's face increased Jim's smile until pearly white teeth were exposed. However, the young woman's face did not changed even as he looked down upon her smiling brightly. She was almost finding it hard to believe that this young man was the person she'd heard of.

"You can't think of any thing in particular as to why you are so popular among the people?" Lora squinted her eyes at him once more.

"Uh, well, no actually," Jim admitted, "nothing comes to mind."

Lora was still finding it hard to have any belief in him. What could make this boy so unique? This youth was no older than she and seemed like no more than the example of an average young man. But there was always that adage, 'Never judge a book by it's cover.' And the pages of this book had better prove to be marvelous as the cover was starting to bore her.

After a few brief moments of silence, someone would make a suggestion of where to go from where they stood. As the sun set and the forest grew shadowy, the group agreed that they should rest their energy until dawn. They gathered a few sticks and within a couple hours they had a managed to start a small fire to keep them warm for the night. Both humans had nothing but their coats/jackets to support their heads as pillows and the clothing on their backs as their blankets. Morph would lay with Jim and B.E.N. would have to spend the next few hours occupying himself in some way, as sleep was not one of his functions.

Now that they were all comfortable and relaxed, questions could finally be answered and the group could discuss what they would do in the morning. Jim was the first to speak; his question directed at Lora whom sat alone on the opposite side of the fire from him.

"So," He tried to find the right words, "Where did you find that... sphere?"

Lora glanced down at the sphere for a moment as if unsure how to respond, "I didn't find it..."

She didn't find it? If she was not the founder, than who was? Jim half expected her to sneer and say she'd stolen it; for a bit of humor. He still knew little about this woman, so there was no reason for him to not ponder that that she could possibly be a thief. But another theory struck him. If she was not the one that found the sphere, maybe someone had given it to her.

"Someone gave it to you?"

Lora slowly looked up, "In a way... yes,"

"In a way?" Jim gave Lora a puzzled look, "What do you mean?"

Lora shook as the memories that drifted through her head came about once again. That dark, storming night when the only family she had was slaughter before her home. Did she dare to bring those memories back into her mind? She couldn't lie... but she didn't have to tell the entire story...

"It was given to me by someone very dear to my heart... someone I lost long ago..."

The group fell into a state of silence as Lora's face saddened and tears welled up in her eyes. Obviously, there was more behind this story than Lora was willing to tell. But perhaps now wasn't the best time for Jim to force her to speak the truth. Maybe after he'd earned her trust she'd be more comfortable to reveal the whole story.

Jim sighed, "If you don't want to tell us... you don't have to,"

"No," Lora stuttered, "You assisted me after my accident; you deserve to know what all of you have gotten yourselves into. "

Jim, B.E.N., and Morph all embraced themselves for a long tale about the past of the Stanfun family and how they gained possession of a teleporting sphere. The story began with two explorers, Broderick Skull and Merrick Stanfun. The two had known each other for a few years and had adventured off on a voyage of discovery when they came across a mysterious, deserted planet. The strange markings on stones and trees seized their attention and they wandered the planet for months until they came upon an entrance to an abandon kingdom under the water. Merrick was astonished by the technology and intelligence of the deceased species and found something incredible hidden deep within the kingdom. A sphere that could teleport several individuals with the press of a button and by the mere thought of the location. But the sphere had it's limits; a mile to be exact. There was another interesting fact about the sphere that Merrick felt was extremely important; but that was a part of the story Lora's father had little knowledge of.

When Broderick suggested that they steal the sphere and use it for their own selfish desires, Merrick refused; but he agreed to bring what they found back to their home planet. However, once they reached their destination, Broderick attempted to thieve the sphere. But he was unsuccessful, and was arrested for his actions.

A few years passed, and Broderick escaped from custody and terrorized the city as he hunted for the sphere. In desperate need of keeping their citizens safe from harm, Merrick and his family were exiled from their home and were commanded to take the sphere with them. Merrick abandoned his wife and only son on a small planet for their own safety, while he disappeared and endeavored to conceal the sphere from Broderick. A few months later the sphere was sent to Mitchell, Merrick's son, accompanied by a letter explaining to Mitchell to never reveal the hiding place of the sphere to a single sole. Shortly after this, the lifeless body if Merrick Stanfun was found.

The three friends gawked at Lora with traumatized faces. "Unbelievable, isn't it?" Lora took a mouthful of air. Jim, B.E.N. and Morph all nodded in response.

"So, all of that... really happened?" Jim regained his voice as Lora slowly nodded her head. "And your father passed the sphere down to you before... you lost him."

The red and yellow illumination from the fire displayed the upsetting look on Lora's face. There was obviously more to the story then Lora was willing to tell. Jim was sure of this now. But what more could there be?

"But there's still one thing that bothers me;" B.E.N. broke into the conversation, "Why would Skull still want the sphere after all these years?"

"That is what I can't seem to understand," Lora exclaimed, "You would think after 65 years, Skull would have lost interest and began a new hunt. Which just builds more evidence to my theory," Lora held the sphere before her and examined her reflection in it, "that Skull knows something we don't. And whatever it is, it's certainly worth all this waiting," Lora removed the sphere from her vision to look into the eyes of her fellow companions, "We _cannot_ afford to give him the chance to use it."

"And we won't." Jim spoke, "At least not without a fight."

Lora beamed a warm, confident smile. This boy was either incredibly brave or absolutely brainless. He was risking his life for a complete stranger whom he still knew little about; other than the background of her family. Perhaps his heart was just drawn to voyaging, no matter the jeopardy. It was going be unbearable to see him go, just like all the others. No one has ever continued to exist after being around her. All those people, so many people, gone, never to see the light of day again, because they came too close to her.

'He has no idea what he's getting himself into.' Lora thought, 'Just don't get attached, Lora. It will only make this all the more painful.' Maybe after a while he would become wise of the danger he so eagerly hurled himself into. Warning him now was useless; he was too delighted to depart now. Though she did enjoy the company, and he did serve a purpose to the sphere now.

"Okay, I believe it's my turn to ask a question," Lora broke from her thoughts.

"All right, ask," Jim braced himself for any thing she would be willing to ask.

"Just what exactly where you doing with my belongings?" Lora smirked.

Jim coughed and blushed as he laughed nervously, "Well... I..."

Lora lifted the sphere with one hand and used her other fist to rest her chin on; "Perhaps you were corrupted by the gold of the sphere? You haven't stopped gawking at it since our conversation started." Lora moved the sphere from left to right and observed as Jim's eyes helpless followed. With a satisfied grin, Lora tossed the sphere into the air and caught it. "Or has the story of its discovery completely baffled you? No! That couldn't possibly be it!" Lora began to tease Jim. "You didn't even know of the sphere's tale when you first saw it. So tell me, James, just what is it about this sphere that has you so hypnotized?"

"Oh, that's easy!" B.E.N. nearly shouted, "It's because it looks just like the map to Treasure Planet!" Lora dropped the sphere and looked on in shock as these words.

"B.E.N.!" Jim wasn't sure Lora was ready to believe this.

"What? She deserves to know!"

"Treasure... Planet?" Lora appeared to be astounded. "Is this some kind of joke? You can't really mean Flint's Trove. It's not possible! It's not real!"

"Actually, it's about as real as that sphere," Jim directed a finger at the sphere laying on the soil.

Jim commenced from the moment he encountered Billy Bones and the discovery of the sphere that took him on the most thrilling expedition of his life. Morph provided many imitations of their fellow shipmates and B.E.N. interrupted to narrate his side of the story of when he stumbled upon Jim. In return, Jim informed Lora of the plentiful times B.E.N.'s antics almost had them destroyed. After explaining about his years in the academy, Jim clarified the comparisons between the two spheres. Much to Lora's surprise (whom was still in much disbelief), the spheres were very identical. The only differentiation was Lora's sphere's ability to transport through teleportation.

"So, all of this really happened? You're not pulling my leg?" Lora murmured.

"Honest." Jim simply replied. "It's really odd; the spheres are almost identical. They must have some kind of connection."

"Well, there's no use in asking the same questions over," Lora yawned, "It's late, we should get some rest and conserve our energy. We'll search for a town in the morning and maybe find some answers. Goodnight, boys."

The travelers put out their fire and rested on the ground for a long night of relaxation. When the sun would rise at dawn, the real journey would commence.

* * *

Next Chapter... 

Chapter Five: Creatures of the Forest

Author Note: PLEASE READ! Okay, I know what you all are probably thinking. It's a little weird that Lora somehow knew Jim's name, right? There is a big reason behind this, but I'm not going to tell you. However, if you pay close attention to the story you might figure it out, but it will be revealed later on in the end. So what could it be? Did Lora and Jim meet once before in their childhood? Did someone tell Lora about Jim? What could it possibly be! Well, you'll just have to find out or figure it out. But if you do, please don't tell everyone! I want to keep it a secret.

That reminds me, for those you that noticed that Jim's speech is a bit more elegant from the way he talked in the movie, it's probably because I'm terrible at making characters talk normal. Plus, I figure that since Jim is going to the same academy that Amelia went to, he'd probably talk "all-proper" like her or at least similar to it.


	5. Creatures of the Forest

Hello again readers! Now as I recall, our four friends are lost on a different planet, the girl's name is Lora Stanfun, Jim and Lora had an argument, made up, and now Jim and his friends have agreed to help Lora with her problem.  
  
Now it's time for some fun! ^___^  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Treasure Planet or the original characters from the movie. I only own Lora Stanfun, Captain Skull and his crew, the planet that Lora, Jim, Morph, and B.E.N. are trapped own along with the creatures on it, and the "Temple of Water" (which will soon be explained).  
  
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The Sphere of Parmile Chapter Five: A Walk in the Forest  
  
"Lor, do you even know where we're going?" Jim questioned the audacious girl leading them.  
  
"No, why would I? I don't even know what planet we're on," Lora replied.  
  
The four of them had been roaming deeper and deeper into the thick forest for hours, unaware what beast and monsters they may just come across. The forest was full of trees of many shapes and sizes and some had a few weird markings on them. Could they possibly mean something?  
  
"Lor, where are taking us?" Jim asked.  
  
"I'm not sure really," Lora answered, "but we need to find a town or something so we can find a way off this planet, I mean, this planet has got to have some kind of life form on it, right?"  
  
Lora turned around to see him Jim would reply. Jim shrugged his shoulders not sure if he truly agreed with her. While Lora walked on and Jim followed with Morph sleeping peacefully on his shoulder, they didn't notice B.E.N. was distracted by something behind the bushes.  
  
B.E.N. peaked his head over the bushes and discovered a nest of eggs. He lifted one leg over the bushes, then the other, and walked quietly towards the eggs and examined them. There were five large white eggs with light blue spots on them huddled together in the nest.  
  
"Hey Jim, come and see what I found!" B.E.N. shouted to his friends.  
  
Jim and Lora rushed over to find B.E.N. hovering over a nest of eggs. His hands clapped together and his eyes wide open as he gazed at the eggs.  
  
"Aw, aren't they just the cutest thing you've ever seen?" B.E.N. asked happily.  
  
"B.E.N., they're eggs..." Jim gave B.E.N. a confused look. He didn't understand how an egg could be cute.  
  
"I think I gonna take one," B.E.N. reached down to grab an egg.  
  
"No, wait! Don't..." Lora jumped over the bushes trying to stop B.E.N. from picking the egg up. Jim and Morph (now awake) followed her.  
  
However, it was too late, B.E.N. now had one of the large eggs in his arms and was cuddling it.  
  
"When it hatches I'm gonna take good care of it. We'll play lots of games and watch Jim solar surf and we'll be best buddies forever!"  
  
Suddenly, B.E.N.'s happy little moment was interrupted by the sound of loud footsteps drawing near them. The trees started to rustle and creatures that the four friends did not see while walking ran off in a panic. The four of them stood together unaware what was coming for them.  
  
The trees were pushed aside in all directions as a large group of creatures revealed themselves to the intruders. They were over forty feet tall, their entire bodies covered with light brown and yellow fur, their eyes completely black with a small dot of blue. They had two horns twice the size of Jim sticking out of the top of their heads and fangs dripping with drool hanging out of their mouths.  
  
"You just had to touch the egg, didn't you?" Lora gave B.E.N. a crude look.  
  
B.E.N. every carefully put the egg back down in the nest and in return the creature gave out a loud, furious, roar. The three of them scattered into different directions; Morph followed Jim.  
  
Lora headed into the direction of other one of the creatures and quickly stopped when she realized the creature was before her. It too gave out a furious roar and raised it's giant paw to crush Lora with. Lora quickly grabbed the sphere from her neck and hit a small button, vanishing her into small drops of water as the giant paw slammed down to stomp her.  
  
Lora appeared high in a tree where she could see the creatures chasing her friends. The first she seen was Jim and Morph being hunted down by a fairly larger creature than the others (possibly a male) were. She quickly used the sphere to teleport her to the area where Jim and Morph were.  
  
Meanwhile, Jim leaped over logs and huge rocks trying to outrun the creature, unfortunately he was unable too. Lora teleported herself onto a tree branch farther up of Jim's trail. She wrapped her legs around the tree branch and hung upside down with her arms hanging down ready to grab Jim when he came by.  
  
"Jim!" Lora called as Jim and Morph made their way towards her.  
  
Jim looked up and seen Lora hanging from the tree branch, then he realized that she was too high for him to reach. He looked ahead and seen a long log, he would have to use the log to give him an extra bust to jump and grab Lora's hand.  
  
As Jim approached the log he used one foot to step on it and the other to help him leap into the air. He grabbed one of Lora's hands and the other hung beside him. Morph laid on Jim's shoulder as Lora pushed another button on the sphere teleporting them before the creature could take a big chop at them.  
  
When they reappeared, they were higher in the tree. Jim easily spotted B.E.N because of his screaming. Lora looked over to find B.E.N was being chased by the mother of the egg that B.E.N had been holding (the one that roared at them).  
  
"Stay here! I'll get B.E.N," before Jim could even say something Lora disappeared.   
  
The creature by now had B.E.N cornered while more of the creatures slowly circled him snarling. B.E.N started to whimper and shake as the words "I'm doomed" rang in his head.  
  
"Hey ugly!" A voice rose among the creatures' snarling and to B.E.N's surprise it was Lora coming to his rescue.  
  
Lora swung down towards a creature's head on a vine and flung onto it's head. Another creature lunched at Lora but she managed to move out of the way in time making the creature accidentally bite the other creature's head. As the two creatures began to fight Lora made her way down the one's back but ended up falling off and hurting her arm.  
  
As she rose to stand another creature leaped at her. Lora tucked herself into a ball and rolled underneath of the creature as it hit the ground. She quickly picked herself up and ran over to B.E.N while holding her bruised arm.  
  
"Come on B.E.N, we're getting out of here before it gets worse!" Lora grabbed onto B.E.N while she pressed another button on the sphere teleporting as all the creatures began to fight over the loss of what would have been their supper.  
  
Jim and Morph sat on a tree branch wondering if Lora and B.E.N made it out. Just then, Lora and B.E.N appeared from behind them. Jim turned and seen the two standing there, hardly able to keep their balance on the branch.  
  
"You're alive!" Jim shouted with happiness, before he noticed Lora holding her arm, "Lor, you're hurt,"  
  
"Oh, don't worry," She grinned, "It's just a burse, I'll be fine."  
  
"You should have seen her Jim!" B.E.N shouted excitedly, "She fought off those big fluff balls like it was nothing!"  
  
"Its actually a lot harder than it looks," Lora explained before B.E.N could make her sound like a showoff.  
  
"Which makes me wonder," B.E.N rubbed his chin, "Why didn't you just teleport into the circle and save me, wouldn't that have been easier?"  
  
"Yes, I could have done that," Lora explained, "but we can't take the chance of those things tracking us down for supper or at least revenge for going near their nesting grounds, so I figured I'd do something to keep them busy for a short period while we get as far away from as this place as fast as we can,"  
  
"Seems like you've been in this situation before," Jim grinned.  
  
"Let's just say when you've been traveling for as long I have you sometimes get yourself in those kind of situations," Lora grinned back at Jim, "and after awhile you learn from your mistakes,"  
  
Lora started to climb down the branches, "Come on, we'd better get out of here before those beasts figure out where we are,"  
  
---  
  
And so ends Chapter Five! ^_^  
  
Well, I had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner, how about you, readers? I'm also very happy with the progress of this Fan Ficiton. If I manage to finish a chapter a day like I am now, I may just finish this story a lot faster than I thought!  
  
By the way, did any one else notice how many times I used the words "large" and "creatures"? I really need to improve my vocabulary. 0.o  
  
Now, since I'm in such a nice mood (though I am tired, because its 12:48 PM where I'm at) I'm going to give you readers a review of what to expect in Chapter Six, and maybe I'll do that from now on too. IF YOU DON'T WANT ANY SPOILERS, DO NOT READ ON!!!   
  
Chapter Six: A Temple of Water -  
  
The four friends discover the "temple of water" where Lora's grandfather found the sphere and they find out a bit more information about the sphere and not to mention the magic of the water on that planet. 


End file.
